Through the Eyes of Friendship
by Adventurous Heart
Summary: Takuya goes Blind after falling in a revine. Will he ever regain his sight? Rated PG for Language. CHAPTER EIGHT NOW UP. FINALE!
1. Chapter 1

Okie Dokie... Here's yet again another fanfiction from the terrible writings of me.  
This is the fault of my new muse, and is a product of boredom. I never planed on letting this get as deep as it is now... but, um, here it is, all the same.

So, reviews are welcome, but i beg you don't flame me. ((begs on hands and knees.))  
Belive me, I'm Takuya's #1 Fan! I hate to see him get hurt, but you have to adimt, he's so cute when he is, right?

Anyway, here's the legal stuff. rolls eyes This gets annoying after a while...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own digimon, the charaters, or anything else... yada yada yada.

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Through the Eyes of Friendship  
****Chapter 1**

The doctor placed his hand reassuringly on the shoulder of the Teenager Koji, he asked, "Do you know anything yet?"

"No, we don't we just got him in and on anisectic." Came the doctor's reply.  
All eyes watched the door leading to Takuya's hospital door.  
"It's going to be okay, Koji." Koichi Reassured.

The doctor removed his hand and, as he turned to head down the hall, he issued his familiar command, "Get me the progress charts."  
Atemping to following the doctor, Koji felt his stomach lurch again. He had been here too many times before. A command for progress rarely bought good news.  
He never expected anything to go wrong when they discovered that the gateway to and from the digital world became reopened and they could travel to and from there as they pleased.

So there they were, waiting for the news about the leader of their team, Takuya. _Was he going to be alright? _Was the thought that crossed all their minds.

Koji thought back only a mere 20 minutes before the present.

No one was sitting at the classroom computer when it spat out Zoe, closely followed by Tommy and J.P.. A shrill shreik comming from buried in zoe's hand, came a short cry, at the sight of the limp form of their leader, Takuya, cruched up between the twins Koji and Takuya.  
"Damn," Koji swore quietly to himself as he gently set Takuya Down.

"Koji...?" Tommy began.  
"I have no idea.. He wandered off, we heard a scream and we found him at the bottom of a twenty foot ravine, out cold." Koji replied, Answering tommy's obvious question.

Koji drove everyone from the school to the hospital in his SUV, and rushed quickly to the doors leading to the ER.

The kids watched in silence as Koichi and J.P. loaded Takuya onto the gurney that had arrived under the supervision of the hospital's Doctor. He listened to Koichi's brief description of the ravine as he examined the deep gash that ran from the centre of Takuya's forehead across the top of his right eye. Checking the young man's pupil reflexes, he shouted instructions to his orderlies about CAT scans and x-rays and then whisked his patient down the hallway.

Koji moved to follow but the J.P. gently placed his hand on his arm to stop him. As Koichi looked enquiringly at him. Another nurse came out and said; "Sir, I need some information about where you were when the accendent happened. As much information as you can give would be very helpful."

Zoe opened her mouth to argue, but closed it, knowing from the look in Koji's eyes that there was no point.

The nurse saw the shift in the expression and softened her tone, "I'll make sure the doctor reports as soon as he has any information."

**(o)o(o)o(o)**

Tommy glanced once more at the hospital room door as if sheer force of will would bring the battered Takuya striding through it, boucing back with a confident "I'm okay!"

The interview, or more like interogation, was finally over. Zoe and Koichi walked out of the nurse's office, shutting the door behind them.

Tommy pulled his attention back to those around the room. Zoe's face was etched with fine lines of deep worry and, although Koji appeared impassive, the tell-tale twitch in his right cheek belied his own concern for their fellow team member.

The teens were completly and utterly alone in the Emergency Room Waiting Area.

Koji's thoughts interjected his worry, he was thinking back about what happened before they came back through the portal.  
T_here really was nothing. No insects, no birds, no signs of small digimon, nothing._ Koji thought.

He rembered back when night had fallen.  
_There were no sounds. Nothing. No crickets, no birds, nothing. _Koji's thoughts continued.  
_In the morning Tommy and J.P., and Zoe, started to cook some food. And while-- _

"We were just out to have fun." Zoe cried, interruping Koji's thought. Tommy and J.P. tried to comfort her. And though, nobody looked his direction, Koji gave an annoyed glance in their direction.

_--While Takuya, Kouchi and Koji checked around for Digimon, any 'mon really._

Everything was going fine. Boring but fine. Takuya had taken the team to a clearing in a small circle of those stunted trees that grow there.

In the hallway outside the hospital room, and outside Koji's head, his twin brother sat next to him.

"Koji, you wanna talk about it?" Koichi, his twin brother, asked.

"Takuya, the jerk, told me that he'd be right back, said he'd go to take a leak and, well..." His voice tailed off as he waved at the air around as if tring to convice himself to continue.  
All eyes, including Zoe's tear filled eyes, were on Koji as he talked to the floor.

"Takuya walked off, pushing through the trees. He was gone for no more than a few minutes when I heard him scream."  
Koji felt his stomach lurch again as he remembered the awful blood-curdling noise that had apparently come from Takuya as he'd fallen.  
"Koichi and I ran though the trees just stopping at the edge of a ravine to find Takuya at the bottom of it.

It was horrible... " He bowed his head even lower.

"He didn't wake up..." Then, subconsciously, he turned to look at the empty doorway.

Tommy scanned the worried and despondent faces. He was about to utter some words of encouragement, that always felt too contrived, when a nurse appeared at the doorway. "Excuse me, the Doctor would like to see you in Room 473."

**(o)o(o)o(o)**

The room was quiet.

Zoe sat beside Takuya's bed watching the young man's chest rise and fall in the gentle rhythm of a deep sleep. It was, in fact, hard to tell if he was asleep because a swathe of bandages ran around his head completely covering his forehead and eyes.

The Doctor had given them his diagnosis and his words still echoed around Koji's head.

"Your friend has suffered a relatively severe head trauma that appears to have damaged his optic nerves. It does, however, appear not to have caused any further injuries, although we won't be completely sure of that until he wakes up. It's not uncommon for an injury to the front of the skull to damage these nerves as the brain is pushed against the front of the skull during the trauma. However, it is uncommon for it to affect both eyes." The question on everyone's minds at the time was voiced by J.P. and the doctor had answered the best he could, "We can't tell at this stage the extent of the injury or whether it will heal itself."

Koji shuddered as he remembered the words.

Takuya... blind?

Just the mere thought of it made him feel physically sick.

He could still see the look of complete and total shock on Zoe and Tommy's face.

Koji shook his head. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad. Maybe Takuya would wake up and his sight would be fine. Maybe the doctor had been wrong. Maybe...maybe Nemon was a scholor now. He snorted at his foolishness.

"Koji?" The voice was weak and tentative, unsure of itself.

"I'm here, Takuya." Koji tried to keep his voice light and cheerful.

"Koji...I can't...." There was a hint of fear in the tone but Zoe jumped in quickly.

"It's okay, Takuya, you've got a bandage over your eyes." Koji cringed, as he was thinking the same thing. Why had he so deliberately dodged the possibility that it may be more than just a bandage stopping the spirited teen from seeing the world around him.

"What happened?"

"You fell into a ravine and banged up that thick head of yours."

"Oh. Sorry."

How could he do that? Fall down, bang his head, end up in hospital and still be the one apologising. "Don't!" Koji said, realising too late that it had come out a little more vehemently than he had meant it to.

"Koji? Are you okay?"

_There he goes again! He's the one with the bandage and he's asking me if I'm okay! _Koji sighed, "I'm fine, Tacky, just fed up with these damned uncomfortable chairs. I think I'll just go tell the Doc to get me an armchair installed in here." And with that, he left the room, hoping that he'd made takuya feel as thought there was nothing to worry about.

A small smile touched Takuya's lips and Zoe, too, smiled, patting the Takuya's hand reassuringly.

"How long...?" He was going to ask how long he'd been sleeping, but Zoe already knew what he meant.

Zoe checked her watch, "Just over four hours."

"Oh." Takuya yawned.

"Better get some more sleep, Takuya."

Takuya nodded and winced at the movement but it wasn't long before his rhythmic breathing told the kids that he was sleeping again.

_**To Be Continued...**_

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Sleep....... that sounds so good right now... I feel like my eyes are being held up by toothpicks!  
Maybe that's why ths story is forming so pathicly. IIE! I need sleep. Be nice to the muse now...

**"Hey! You! Senpai!"** _))muse floats down from the sky((  
_**"Deal with the reviews."  
**_--But-- But-- Why me?!  
_**"Because... this is _your_ fault."  
**_--But-- But--  
_**"Nighty Night..."  
**_--))Squeak((_


	2. Chapter 2

**To Cloaked Fox**: Thank you for the constructive critisim... but I would greatly appreaciate you being _patient_!  
Sheesh... It was CHAPTER FREAKING ONE! I needed to make it a cliff hanger, and I intentionally didn't tell how they got to the digital world.

If you'll wait a few chapters, "All will become clear to you", to quote Ophanimon.

**Disclaimer:** Me own Digivice, me no own Digimon.

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**Through the Eyes of Friendship  
****Chapter 2**

It was late into the night, and the children took sleep on the benches scattered among the hall out side Takuya's hospital room.

Everyone slept peacefully, except Koji.

And now, he stood staring at his best friend's still form across the room, the true meaning of the doctor's words began to sink in.

Blind? Takuya? No! That just couldn't be true, it wasn't fair. Not for Takuya. Seeing, discovering was his life. For him to lose his sight would be...well....

Koji shook his head. He couldn't think about it. He had to stay positive, for Takuya's sake at least.

Although the kids were instructed to stay out of the room, Koji felt no regards as to disobeying the nurse's commands.  
As he neared the end of the infirmary cot, he stood, checked his watch (2:30am.) and whispered, so as not to wake his charge, "Man, Takuya, why'd you have to be such a moron? Huh? Going off on your own like that... falling off a cliff like that." What was Koji thinking? He knew better than to think takuya would do something like that on purpose... but he thought it'd make both of them feel better if let Takuya think he hadn't changed.

Koji moved round to the side of Takuya's bed and gently sat down in the chair next to it, his bandaged face bringing the knot back to her stomach with a vengeance.  
He swallowed hard. " He felt guitly. He thought it was all his fault. If he had only been there for him, he could have done something.  
"I could have done something!" Koji said to himself.

"Mmmm...." Takuya mumbled softly.

"Shhhhh." Koji Murmered.

He mumbled again in reply and quietened once more into sleep.

He simply sat there, watching his steady relaxed breathing, trying hard not to think about what lay beneath the bandages.

Kouchi's voice made him jump, "He still sleepin'?"

Koji nodded, placed his hands in his pockets,and stepped back out of the room. "I'm gonna go get some sodas bro. Do you want one?" He asked his brother, who was walking around the hospital bed much the same way as koji.

"Okay."

Koji turned to go.

As he watched Koji leave the room, he couldn't help but to say to himself; "Poor Koji, this is eating him up inside."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

_It all started with a message Tommy got on his e-mail. From Bokomon. The Celestial Digimon had found a way to open up the gate to the digital world so that we could come back.  
__Though it had been many many decades in the digital world, only 5 years had passed by in the real world.  
__Some new creature-- program-- something-- had threatened the still ongoing reconstruction of the digital world. The gaurdians have fought to try to distroy this new force, but to no avail. Bokomon had been charged with the task of finding a way to contact the Digidestined, and bring them back to help fight this evil force... _

_With enough strength from the Celestial Digimon, still not megas... they managed a gate from the real world to the digital world.  
__Accessable only by the D-tectors, they used what little strength they could spare to make sure the kids could come to aid, and return, should things get out of hand._

"Bokomon! Buddy!" Takuya cheered.

"Oh! Children! I honestly never thought I'd see you again!"

"Me either!" came the famillairly squeaky voice.

"Nemon!" Tommy cheered! "Good to see you!"

"Bokomon, what happened? You look... older!" Zoe bluntly stated, suprise seasoning her words.  
Bokomon indeed looked older, more mature, not elderly, but definitly ageing.

"Beans! I was hoping you wouldn't notice. It's been many decades since you've been here-- funny, too, you don't look that different, either..."

"Wait, what do you mean 'decades'? " Koji asked.

"We haven't been gone that long. Have we?" Wondered J.P.

"5 years." Koichi answered.

"Time here goes by differently." Nemon replied.

"Indeed!" Bokomon Agreed.

"Then how come Nemon doesn't look near as old as you do?" Tommy asked.

"Hmph!" Was all that Bokomon answered.

A burst of laughter filled the small crowd.

(o)o(o)o(o)

"So, buddy, where's the spirits?" Takuya asked, as Bokomon led them to the Rose Morning Castle's front gate.

Bokomon frowned and continued walking without a reply. Takuya looked back to everyone else, and they all shrugged it off.

As they took the enterance through the titanic crystal doors, an angelic voice greeted them.

"Welcome back, young children." Angewomon spoke.

"You have grown so much." Angemon also greeted.

"Not as much as you Patamon." Koichi chuckled.

"Please meet Angemon and Angewomon." Bokomon said.

"...And chrerubimon?" Koji begun to ask.

"Antalamon." Bokomon Finished, bowing as a rabbit like digimon came from behind the angels.

"They're not completly digivolved." Bokomon continued.

"Yes. We're still far from being as we used to." Angewomon said.

"Well, at least the digital would _has_ you and the spirits here... and that's all that matters, right?" Koichi said, trying to lighten the heavy mood.

All the Digimon Present in the room frowned, once again, giving Takuya the impression  
that something was wrong.

"All the spirits _are_ here, right?" he asked questioningly.

"We're... not sure." Angemon confessed.

"After the presence of this new entity appeared, we've lost contact of the solitary spirits, Human and Beast."

"What?! What the heck does that mean!?" Takuya tried to stay relitivly calm, but he couldn't refrain the slight hint of fear and consern in his voice.

"Basicly, we have the essence of your fusion spirits, but no human or beast to obtain them." Bokomon explained.

"That is the very purpose why we brang you here." Angewomon continued. "Because, when you left here, a peice of each of the ledgendary warriors went with you. They are a part of you--"  
"-- forever and for always." Antalamon finished.

"That still doesn't explain what we have to do." Koji stated.  
"Yeah. What can _we_ do to help?" Zoe asked.

"The essence of all of your fusions forms has been spread throughout this world, helping to protect the areas of weakness."

"Like the Fire Termainal, where you first found your spirit, Takuya." Bokomon chimed.

"Yes. The Fusions, or Ancients, are now protecting these areas, sheilding them so there will not be another incident like before."

"With Lucemon." Koji complied.

"Exactly." Antalamon agreed.

"That is why you _must_ quest for these areas. I'm sure your hearts will guide you." Angewomon expressed.  
"You need to find and tame the ancients. And only you can. Convice them you mean no evil, and when the time is right, you can fuse with them." Angemon instruced.  
"They can help you find the ledgendary warriors." Antalamon finished, again.

"Please, be careful children." Said Bokomon.

"Why-- I mean, aren't you comeing with us?" J.P. asked?

"Bokomon has other duties, now." Angemon told them.

"But, please, take my book, you'll never know when you might need it." Bokomon offered them his treasured book, and Takuya accepted it with a bow.

"We won't let you down! We won't let any of you down!" He said cheerfully.

And with that, a glow of light surrounded all of them and when it receeded, all 6 kids held in their hands, a famillar object, a digivice.

**TBC**

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Okay, happy? A new chapter. (winks at Dai-Muse) _--Thanks Buddy.--_

This one is supposed to be like a flashback of sorts... we'll get back to Tacky's dilliema next chapter. And BTW: The reason Koji is so light tempered (I.E Calling Takuya "Tacky") is because he's lighened up. (Uh... Duh?) After being with friends, he's found out what friendship is like, and he's not as lonely anymore. So read between the lines here folks... this is a FANFIC... meaning it's my version of how I want Digimon to go. I don't have to amke all the charaters exactly as they were in the series... besides, it's been 5 years... they've... changed.

Okie Dokie... Well, that's it... I'm done. Stick around for the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

Okay guys, you've reviewedlike hellwhile I left my Dai-Muse in charge, he's currently hiding somewhere in Gaia and refuses to come out. So I guess I'll be handleing reviews.  
Be nice and he might come back.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Digimon.

**

* * *

**

**Through the Eyes of Friendship  
Chapter 3**

Takuya sat on the end of the CAT scan bed listening to the sounds of medical staff going about their business. He felt edgy both from the dull ache emanating from his forehead injury and the, what he hoped was temporary, darkness created by the bandaging around his head. The had left him for a moment to check the latest scan results, adding them to the other tests he'd be running that morning, and Takuya was hoping that this would be the last one. He heard the door to the room open, someone enter and then Doctor's voice quietly dismissing the other people.

"Takuya" he spoke his name with a clipped, unemotional tone"I've run all the tests I can and although your head wound is healing fine, I'm afraid..." His voice wavered as he found it slightly hard to finish his sentence. The rest of the kids had decided to pick up something to drink. Hoping that the Doc would inform them when he had heard something. But Zoe didn't go. She remained in front of room 473, and faintly hearing a deeper voice from inside the closed door, she peered inside and looked at Takuya.  
_So young, so enthusiastic, so dependent on his senses and here he was about to be told that he probably lost the one most important to him._ But zoe waited in scilence as she, herself awaited the news also.

Takuya turned his head to face where the doctor's voice was coming from. He could feel his stomach knot in fearful anticipation of what the Doctor was finding so hard to voice. He waited.

The doctor swallowed hard in a vain attempt to speak naturally and rationally. "I'm afraid..." He started. "Your optic nerves are permanently damaged."  
_No. No. No. No. No. No. No!  
_Zoe felt sick inside, all over inside. As the words of the Medical Professional echoed loudly inside her head.

But to Takuya, it felt different, it was as if someone had slapped him. Slapped him so hard, he was in shock. His mind refused to process the words he'd just heard and their implications. He tried to find his voice, but the words came out as a shaky whisper "What are you saying?"

The doctor reached out and, wordlessly, started to remove Takuya's bandage, tears in the corners of Zoe's eyes. The crepe fell away revealing the carefully stitched tear across the young man's forehead and two taped circles of cotton wool pad over each of his eyes. For a second, he looked back at Zoe, who he realized heard the entire conversation. Then he reached up and carefully removed the two circles.

Takuya held his lids shut for a moment, afraid of what would come next. He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.

Nothing.

He could feel panic rise from the knot that had settled in his stomach.

Nothing at all.

Oh, god, no.

Total darkness.

Bile rose in his throat and he clamped his hand over his mouth in a bid to control the urge to throw up. Zoe walked up and put her hand on his arm.  
No! His mind screamed. He shrugged off her touch and, dropping his hand, he whispered "Leave me alone."

"Takuya." Zoe started simpaticlly.

He could hear the tears in her voice. "Please, leave me alone" he begged.

Zoe, who now had tears flowing down her face, hesitated and then turned and left, telling herself he needed time. The doctor followed behind her.

At the sound of the door closing behind the footsteps, Takuya lurched across the room in the direction he hoped was the right one, and banged into the edge of the sink he'd been looking for. He bent over and emptied the contents of his stomach into it.

(o)o(o)o(o)

"I'm sorry Miss." The doctor apologised. "I wish..."

Zoe's tear filled voice interrupted"Yeah. I know."

The doctor just nodded and turned to walk in the opposite direction.

The rest of the kids entered the short corridor that led to the hospital room to find their friend Zoe, standing outside.

"Zoe"

Zoe looked up at Tommy and then across at the Room.

"In there"

She nodded and said"He told him..." Her voice trailed off.

Both Koji and the rest of the guys could clearly see the anguish in her eyes and guessed at its meaning. Both Koji and Tommy stepped up to the door"Let me talk to him first." Koji said with no emotion in his voice. Tommy couldn't tell what he was thinking.

He opened his mouth to argue but closed it and nodded his agreement, his stomach forming its own knot as the long haired loner entered the room, shutted the door behind him.

"Takuya"

He was standing over by a sink on the far wall of the room, his back to the door.

Koji walked over to stand beside his friend"Hey, Takuya."

Takuya didn't turn around, ignoring his best friend.

Koji tried again"Takuya"

"What" Came the petulant reply.

"You okay"

"What do you think"

"Alright, so it was a stupid question." Koji sighed. "I'm not very good at this you know." Then he tried a different track.  
"Do ya' wanna get somethin' to eat? The doctor said your free to go home. You know, after all the..."

Takuya whirled round to face his friend. "No, Koji" he shouted. "I want ya' to leave me the hell alone. Okay"

Koji was struck by Takuya's eyes. Those once expressive, bright brown eyes now appeared dull and lifeless. He suspected he was imagining it, yet, they haunted him. He swallowed and replied"Look, I know this is tough for you but..."

Takuya shook his head slowly, interrupting Koji's words"You...have...no...idea...what I am feeling...Koji." He turned away"Just leave me alone...please."

Koji stared at his friend's back, unsure what he should do or say. Maybe someone else would have better luck.

(o)o(o)o(o)

"I couldn't..." Koji trailed off.

Tommy took this as his cue. And the slightly nervous 14yr old walked into the room and Closed the door behind him.

Takuya was sat on the floor, his back against the far wall and his head bowed down to rest on his drawn up knees. He had his arms wrapped around his legs and was remaining motionless.

Without a word, Tommy sat on the floor beside him and placed his hands on the floor scooting his back agaist the wall.

"Um- Hi Takuya." He saw him flinch away but he persisted,

"We were all so worried about you buddy." He said, cracking a fake smile.

Takuya resisted him, burying his head into his curled up arms and legs.

"Stop it Takuya" Tommy finally broke down. "We're only tring to help you! We're friends! You just can't keep pushing us away like this! We know this is really hard for you now, but how do you think the rest od us feel"

Slowly Takuya relaxed and allowed himself to uncurl and sit upright, his head moving wanderinling to the direction that Tommy was talking from.

They sat like that for a while in silence for a few minutes and then Tommy stood and took Takuya's hand. He coaxed him to stand"Let's get you home." Takuya hesitated for a moment and then nodded and followed his lead.

Tommy watched Takuya as he got to his feet, the vacant look in his normally lively eyes a chilling reminder of his disability.

"What's taking so long" J.P. asked. still tring to comfort the crying Zoe.

Koji pushed himself away from the wall that he'd been leaning on and raised a questioning eyebrow at Tommy, who was assisting his slightly taller friend out the door. "Takuya"

"Let's just get him home guys." Tommy suggested.

Koji looked across at the doctor who was walking down the hallway. "That'd be best. Here's the release forms." Then, addressing Koji, the obvious one in charge, he added"You'll need to come back tomorrow so that I can check the stitches."

"Yeah. Okay." Koji replied. He glanced at Takuya who was being assisted by the rest of the team, towards the exit of the building.

Koji watched the five walk slowly down the corridor, concerned that throughout their short exchange Takuya had not said a word or even looked in his direction. Alright, so maybe looking in his direction was a little wishful thinking, but his young friend had not acknowledged his presence at all.

As they turned the corner and disappeared from view, Koji hoped that Takuya would be okay. He would give him time, well, he'd give him until they came to the hospital again tomarrow.

_And then I'll do whatever I have to to get the real Takuya back._ Koji thought as he followed them to his car.

-(o)o(o)o(o)-

Takuya had spoken barely more than a handful of words during the journey back to his apartment and the subsequent hours he had spent simply slumped on the couch staring into space.

Scaff, Koji's German Shepherd, sensing Takuya's sadness had immediately hopped up on the couch and laid down next to his friend, his head resting on Takuya's lap.

The rest of the kids had left him to himself, recognising that now was not the time to talk, now was time to wait and be there when he needed them. There was one other significant difference in Takuya's behaviour: his need for background music. It was as if adding silence to his dark world would be just too much to bear.

Zoe checked her watch. Nearly eleven. She glanced out of the kitchen window as she waited for the tea pot to finish and watched the rain run down the glass, the dark, cloudy night sky a reflection of how she felt inside. The soft whistle of the kettle drug her back and she turned away from the outside world to fill a mug with the hot liquid.

"You guys should go home, and get some rest. I'll stay here with Takuya." Nodding in agreement... the rest of the kids quietly crept out the door. Koji, thought it would be a good idea to leave his dog there for Takuya's conpany.

He loved Dogs, but never had one of his own, that was the reason why Scaff was there at Takuya's apartment, visiting.

(o)o(o)o(o)

Zoe carried the mug into the lounge and was halfway across the room when the whole house was plunged into darkness and silence. "Aw, man" Zoe exclaimed. It appeared that the electricity supplied had tripped out, dropping all power to the lights and the audio system. "The lights have gone out"

With the night sky hidden behind rain clouds and the street lights out as well, the darkness Zoe found herself in was complete, and scary. Instinctively, she stepped forward to reaching out for something to reassure her she was still in her lounge. Her shin impacted with the coffee table"Ow" The jarring collision caused some of the hot coffee to spill from the mug over her hand"Ouch"

A small sound escaped Takuya's lips, a sound that at once caught Zoe's attention. Although the sound itself warmed her heart, she couldn't help her mouth engaging before brain"Hey! What are you laughing at" She tried to put the mug down on the table she'd encountered earlier but only managed to spill more and crunch her other shin on the piece of furniture.

Takuya laughed again, a little louder.

"Hey" Zoe said indignantly"Don't laugh. It looks like a power outage and I can't see a thing..." Her voice suddenly trailed off as she realised what she'd just said. "Oh, Takuya, I didn't mean to... I was just... oh, I'm sorry, Takuya..." Once again her voice trailed away and she stood still, staring unseeing in the direction she thought Takuya was.

Standing there surrounded by total blackness, scared and isolated, she began to get a sense of what Takuya must be feeling. She could feel tears burn in her eyes and start to flow slowly down her cheeks. She was afraid. Afraid of the deep, penetrating blackness and the desperate loneliness that the blackness seemed to envelop her with. She could feel her stomach lurch as she thought of Takuya. She was experiencing barely the tip of the proverbial iceberg of what Takuya was going through, for she knew that eventually the power would be restored and with it her sight, but for Takuya...well...

Her tears were flowing freely now but, as she stood frozen to the spot, she felt a gentle touch brush the wetness from her cheeks. "Takuya" she whispered.

Takuya was standing directly in front of her and this time it was he who comforted her.

"Heh." Takuya laughed weakly. "What on earth would you lot do without me"  
Zoe cracked a small smile.  
"Spill tea all over your place for one thing."

-(o)o(o)o(o)-

Zoe sat staring at the ceiling. Something had woken her but she was not sure what it had been.

Zoe jumped as Takuya moved restlessly on the couch just across the coffee table and muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

He stood once more in the clearing, back in the digital world. He frowned, the strange softness of a dream sequence touched the scene before him, dulling his friends' voices and making him feel isolated from them. He scanned around him in search of Zoe but could not see her. Why was he here? His head hurt and he reached up to touch his scar that was no longer there. Of course, he hadn't hurt himself yet... A sharp relatively loud noise sounded to Takuya's right and he turned his head towards it. It sounded again and he glanced at Koji and Kouchi who seemed oblivious to the noise. He found himself being drawn towards the strange sound, pushing through the undergrowth until he was standing at the edge of a ravine. He appeared to be alone but as he turned to go he felt something brush against him. He looked back to see what could only be described as a wisp of smoke, yet it had a vague humanoid form. He opened his mouth to speak but shut it as a sharp pain seared behind his eyes. He screwed up his face against the ache but was sure that the wisp was reaching out to him. He raised his hands protectively in front of his face as the pain intensified and he took a step back away from the now advancing smoke. The pain increased still further and Takuya continued to back away from what his instincts told him was the source of his pain. Suddenly the ground disappeared from beneath his feet and, as he scrabbled wildly for something to grab hold of, he realised, too late, that he'd stepped off into the ravine. As he plummeted to the ground, he screamed...

At the sound of Takuya's scream, Zoe shook him to try to wake him, calling his name as she did so. "Takuya. Wake up." He stirred under her touch, groaning and rubbing at his eyes. "Takuya, please, wake up."

The power had still not been restored, but the clouds had blown away allowing the moon to bathe the room with a soft grey light that gently lit Takuya's troubled features. His eyes flickered open as he returned to wakefulness.

"Takuya, are you okay" Zoe sat down on the couch beside him as Takuya looked wildly around the room.

Takuya grabbed at Zoe's hand, making her jump. "I remember" he exclaimed.

"Remember what" Zoe asked, confused by his reaction.

"I remember what happened" He pushed himself into a standing position and Zoe followed suit as he turned to look sightlessly at her and tell her about his dream. "Only it wasn't just a dream, it's what happened. I mean, I couldn't remember what happened before, just, one minute I was in the clearing watching Koji and Kouichi, the next I was waking up in the hospital. Now I know it wasn't the fall that messed with my eyes. It was that mist thing. It took my sight from me" He swung around to put hi hands on Zoe's shoulders. "We have to get back to the digital world, find that thing" He stood, reaching out aimlessly for his classic red over-shirt. He stopped, realising Zoe had not said a word during his verbal tirade. "Zoe? You do believe me, don't you" His voice was soft, pleading, for a moment, unsure of himself.

He got his answer in the form of a wadded shirt being pushed gently into his hands. "Of course I do, Takuya" she whispered"but more importantly, I believe in you." Takuya smiled. "And after all, I'm still older than you. So I've gotta' look after you, ya' know" Though Takuya didn't see it, he could sense she was probably winking now.

TBC

-

There are some errors, yes, but not as many as last chapter. I was in a major hurry, inspiration broke and I had only 30min to type it all down.

Here we show a bit of relationship between Zoey and Takuya, but nothing major.

Well, review if you want, but I've got to go.


	4. Chapter 4

I am soooo sorry I haven't updated.  
My bad.  
I had 4 b-days, an anniversary, valentines day, 2 sleep-overs, and to top it off I had to practice and execute my Scuba-olympics for the M.A.K.O. Divers and the Extreme Team Challenge.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Digimon.

* * *

**Through the Eyes of Friendship  
Chapter 4**

J.P slid onto the back seat of Koji's Landrover, "So, Takuya, what's so important we have to go to the digital world," he glanced at his watch, "2:00 a.m.?" He'd responded unquestioningly to Takuya's urgent phone call of twenty minutes ago and had been dressed and waiting outside his house by the time Koji and the rest of the gang pu had pulled up in front. But now, as they headed through the darkened streets to the high school, he could really do with some kind of explanation, although, quite frankly, if there was anything he could do to help Takuya in his current situation he'd do it, whatever it was, no questions, no doubts, no hesitation.

"We've gotta' go back to the digital world, Koji."  
"Okay."

Takuya smiled at Koji's answer. He hadn't asked why, just said okay. He believed him, no matter how weird it all sounded. However, as he told Koji about his dream and his realisation as to what had happened to his sight, he knew that it was perhaps getting a bit stranger to belive.

o-o-o-o

"... and that's how it went." Takuya concluded. "I just know that's what happened to me!"

Koji sighed. He knew how it sounded, but, hell, right now...  
_I'm not sure I care how it sounds. If it means there an outside chance of Daniel getting his sight back I'm prepared to take it._ Koji thought.

As the kids snuck through the gate of the school yard, they took speical care not to get caught buy the lowly secruity gaurd.

"We're in." Kouchi annouced, having opened the only vent to the school basement, hidden behind a bush.

Expelling a silent sigh, Koji checked his watch, 3:00am, glanced about quickly and followed his friends down the shaft.

o-o-o-o

"Okie dokie. We're here Takuya. Now what?" Tommy asked.  
"Well, Bokomon said that to open the Gate to the Digital World, all we have to do is hold our D-tectors to it." Takuya repiled.  
"How do we know which computer?" Zoe asked.

Takuya Reached in his usual D-tector pocket for his d-scan.

"Oh, no. Awww! Crap!" Takuya snapped.  
"What's the matter Takuya?" Kouchi asked.  
"Dammit! My D-tector's gone!"  
"Calm down. I'm sure we'll get it back." Zoe reassured.

"Hey guys, over here." Koji called from the back of the computer classroom. "I found it, the gate to the digital world."

A glowing glassy something-or-other was hovering over a computer. That was the first time the kids actully 'went' to the digital world, most the time it just took them there.

"Let's go then." Even though Takuya was blind... he still loved to be the leader.

(o)o(o)o(o)

The going had been slow. Koji knew that Takuya was trying his best not to be a burden but the rough terrain made him stumble often, despite Zoe and Kouchi carefully leading him around the worst bits. He glanced back at the sound of the Zoe's reassuring voice as Takuya once again tripped.

Koji returned his attention to the path ahead, continuing on. They were making their way back to the clearing near the ravine where they'd found Takuya and throughout their progress they had seen nothing. Nothing at all. Nothing that could be remotely described as a 'puff of' anything, let alone smoke.

Just ahead of them, Koji's dog, Scaff, was loping along, alternatively sniffing the ground and the air, his ears flicking back and forth, searching for telltale signs of unwelcome visitors.  
J.P. watched the furry critter for a moment and then called the dog's handler over, "Koji, isn't your dog a German Shepherd?"

"Yeah?" Koji replied, curiosity in his voice.

"Could he, well, you know...?"

J.P let the question hang in the air and Koji had to look at him glance briefly at Takuya before he understood his meaning.

"Ohhhh, you mean be a Guide Dog?" Zoe caught on. At J.P.'s bemused expression, she added, "Sorry, Seeing Eye Dog." He nodded. Koji smirked and looked at Scaff ahead, "He's more likely to lead Takuya straight into a thicket than around it!" And as if on cue, the dog disappeared into the undergrowth to their right, his nose firmly planted on the floor.

(o)o(o)o(o)

They continued on.

Takuya stumbled, grasping Kouchi's shoulder to steady himself. Zoe hesitated, about to stop and help him, but he gently pushed her forward, urging her wordlessly onwards.

They carried on as Takuya said, simply and quietly, "So how come, do you think, Koji belived me?"

Kouchi shrugged in reply, knowing that although he would not see the movement he would feel it through his hand on his shoulder.

They kept on walking, Takuya acutely aware that Kouchi had not replied to his last words. Then he tenderly squeezed his shoulder, that simple gesture speaking his understanding and acceptance. He smiled to himself as they followed Koji and his dog towards their destination.

(o)o(o)o(o)

J.P. sat on the ground munching on some indistinguishable, sawdust-tasting energy bar.

They'd been at the 'accident' clearing for over an hour, way longer than before, and still nothing. They'd checked out the ravine regularly and seen not so much as an ant.

J.P. sighed to himself, having checked his watch. They'd been there nearly 6 hours and they hadn't even found anyone or thing, never mind figured out how to fix Takuya, assuming they could. _Now, don't go starting with the negative thoughts, J.P._, he scolded himself. He shoved the last bit of bar into his mouth and stood. Swallowing, he said, "Let's get out of here already."

"Where are we going to?" Tommy asked levelly.

Koji scanned the clearing. There were two paths into the clearing, the one they'd just come down and another. He pointed at the other path,  
"That way, unless anyone has any better suggestions."

No one appeared to, although Koji's tone hadn't been the most encouraging, so they picked up their stuff and followed Koji's lead. Despite the fact he was a loner after all, they had to admit, he was the next best thing to Takuya, well, better than J.P. anyway.

**TBC**

* * *

That was the lamest chapter ever! I'm afraid Dai-muse still won't come out of hiding. 

There's not really much to say here except my inspiration has left me almost completly!

Well, wait up fot the next chapter!

I've got to go already... The katakana is calling my name... whee... -o-"


	5. Chapter 5

Ooh... antother sloppy chapter... I've got writers block. So Sue me. But really, don't 'cause that would be so not cool. I'm sorry it's taking me so ling to get this finished.

**Disclaimer:** You guys looking for someone to sue are lucky. You _own_ digimon. I don't.

* * *

**Through the Eyes of Friendship  
Chapter 5**

The path that the Digidestined had been following was little more than a roughly cleared track through the thick patches of undergrowth and the short, stunted trees that barely broke the rubble-strewn, dusty ground that formed the landscape of that region. The group had neither seen nor found any evidence of any kind of living thing since there arrival and now even the so-called path was beginning to fade away, swallowed up by the thin, moss-like grass that tried desperately to grow over the dry, unforgiving earth.

Zoe suggested that everyone take a break and, as the others sat down for a breather and a quick drink to wash away the dust in their throats, she scanned ahead. She sensed something move next to her before she turned around and gasped.

"The path is no longer clear. It's not really safe fo you to be here." Spoke an elderly looking digimon.

"Oh! A digimon! We haven't seen even one of you since we got here." Zoe conversed cheerfully.

"Turn around and nobody will get hurt." The digimon warned.

"What? But there's nothing here." Zoe turned around to look about the valley.

"See?" When she turned back to the Digimon, he was gone.

**(o)o(o)o(o)**

"...And we have another three and a half hours before we have to turn back? So how much time is that here in the Digital World? " Tommy asked J.P. in their conversation.

"So, we keep heading south-east 'til we run out of time or run into something." Koji and Kouchi conversed

"Takuya is expecting to find a solution to his...problem." Kouchi said in a low voice.

Koji sighed, acutely aware of his brother's gift for understatement. Returning the bottle of water to his backpack, he, and everyone else sitting about the ground jumped at the sight of Zoe running back as fast as she could.

"What's the matter Z?" J.P. asked quickly.

"I saw a digimon!" Scattered chatter was exchanged momentairly.

"Waait!" She shouted. "He said that it's not safe for us to be here and that if we turn back, nobody will get hurt."

"Where is he?" Koji asked demandingly.

"I don't know. He disappeared. He looked kind of like a Thundermon, but I can't be sure."

"But, we can't stop now guys." Takuya finally spoke. He'd been uncharaterlistly quiet for quite sometime now.

"We're so close. I can feel it, I really can. Please. Belive me."

"We do Takuya, it's just that, what if" Koji put his hand on Zoe's shoulder and shook his head as if to stop her from finishing her thought.

"We'll keep going. Don't worry." He said.

**(o)o(o)o(o)**

A little over an hour later and Takuya could feel that their chosen route was gradually taking them upwards. A half an hour further on and the incline was more noticeable, the land to each side also running in parallel upwards to the skyline ahead.

They kept on, the loose rocky terrain making the going slippery and their progress even slower, but Koji could now see that they only had a few hundred yards to go before they reach the ridge at the top of the incline. Pushing on, the kids struggled over the last few yards.

Kouchi watched Scaff disappear over the top as he slipped over the loose stones and then he too was over the top, only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight before him.

The ridge was, indeed, a ridge, the incline up which they had walked forming one side of a hill that bordered the valley dropping away below Koji's position, a valley that would not have looked out of place in a gorgous valley back on Earth. It was breathtaking. A green, grass and woodland covered oasis, stretching for, maybe, fifteen miles across to another ridge opposite and as far as the eye could see to the left and the right. A wide lazy river ran down the middle, glistening invitingly in the planet's sunlight.

"Jeeeeeeezz," J.P whistled.

"Stupéfiant!" Zoe Exclaimed

Two sets of gasps, heralded the arrival of Kouchi and Tommy.

"What?" Takuya asked, trying to control his frustration at not being able to see what had so obviously grabbed his friends' collective attentions.

Apologizing, both Zoe and J.P fell over themselves to explain the beauty that lay before them, failing, despite their combined vocabularies, to capture its true magnificence.

"What's this?" Koji's sombre tone broke the moment.

J.P looked across in the direction Koji was indicating, fetching a pair of binoculars as he did so. Buildings. He looked about the area carefully. There didn't appear to be any 'people' but there were definitely buildings, huddled together in groups along the riverbank.

Returning the binoculars to his pocket and with a fresh enthusiasm, he said, "Okay, kids, looks like we've found something. Heads up and let's go."

They'd barely made it more than a few yards down in to the valley, when Koji felt something brush past him, causing him to stop, vaguely aware that the others had done the same. He cast a look around him. Nothing. "Did anyone see..." He never finished his sentence as his attention was drawn to wisps of smoke swirling before them. As he watched, his eyes wide with surprise, the wisps slowly coalesced into humanoid shapes wearing featureless white hooded robes. "What the...?"

Tommy, along with Zoe, leading Takuya, drew level with Koji, just to his right. Kouchi came up on his left, J.P. to his left. Scaff stood just in front of the group, his hackles raised as he emitted low rumbles of threat.

The centre figure spoke, "Why have you returned?"

Gathering his wits, Koji replied, "We've come to..." He was cut short by a short, sharp pain between his eyes.

Takuya was the first to respond to Koji's gasp of pain. "Koji!"

"I did not address you, slave. I speak only to your leader." He looked pointedly at Takuya.

Zoe lent across and whispered in Takuya's ear, "I think they're talking about you."

"Oh," Takuya said, surprised. "We're Digidestined! And ledgendary warrior"

"Lies! You are no Ledgendary Warrior! You are evil and are not worthy to carry the name! You've only come back here to plunder us, the Aciesmon, and enslave us."

"What!"

"Yes, we know the hate your kind possesses," he said, his own voice full of hate.

"But, we're not evil, we're digidestined, sent here by Ophanimon, Serphimon, and"

"More lies! Do you think we are stupid? We trusted your kind before and when they found they could not control our will by means of force, they brought a more of your so-called ledgendary warriors to destory our home! Our beautiful valley was nothing more than void after they got done! There was only one peice left unscanned.

" He swept his hand towards the valley behind him. "But many of my kind vanished during those desperate times. Now we do not wait to hear their empty words, we simply take the sight of the one whose eyes show the fire of war and hate.

"But it's true," Takuya's wondering eyes pleaded. "We're not the evil ledgendary warriors. They don't exist anymore. We returned the peace here a long time ago. We gave you back what you lost!"

"Do not waste your words, I saw your eyes. They were full of the fire."

Takuyafrowned, "No, no. That's my spirit. It's a part of me. And we all have spirits. Tommy, show him!"

Tommy reached into his pocket, retrieving his d-tector and showing them to the Aciesmon. The leader studied them for a moment and then dismissed them, "Enough of these stories. You will be sent back to the lake and return to your own region, telling your kind never to come to this one again. If you return to this place, I will kill your slaves."

"No, wait! We're..."

Everyone watched in horror as Takuya was engulfed by a bright light and vanished. Koji turned on the figures before them, "You bast..." Suddenly, his world too was engulfed by a bright light and a strange tingling sensation flowed through his body.

Slowly, his abused sight returned as the bright light receded. The valley was gone, replaced by a stone walled room approximately twenty-feet square with an archway in one side. His d-tector was gone as were the rest of the items he carried with him. He scanned the room, "Everyone okay?"

Three short affirmatives, then Tommy's anxious voice, "Takuya's gone, Koji. Scaff's not here either and my d-tector is gone."

"Mine too." Zoe added, her own voice reflecting Tommy's sentiment.

"Ours are gone too, Koji." Kouchi told his brother, indicating J.P.'s struggle to find his d-tector among his many pockets of his jumpsuit.

"Damn! Let's get out of here." Koji strode towards the archway. As he drew level with the walls, there was a flash of blue light and he was knocked backwards on to his butt. "Shit!"

"It's some kind of barrier, or forcefeild." Zoe informed

"Ya, think?" Koji snapped. "I hate these stupid digimon!"

(-)-(-)-(-)

Scaff stood, bemused by the sudden disappearance of his owner and the strangers. He sniffed the air then quartered the ground around where the pack had last been. Confused, he searched the ground further down into the valley. Nothing. No familiar scents. He returned to the only scents he could pick up. Where everyone had last stood and where they had come from. He stood still, unsure, his ears flicking back and forth in the vain hope of hearing the voice of his master. Nothing. He glanced momentarily over his shoulder at the green valley and then followed the only clue he had, the scent they had laid coming to this spot in the first place.

"...ledgendary warriors..." Takuya's words trailed away as he felt a strange tingling sensation wash through his body. He waited until the feeling had dissipated and then he asked, "Koji, what happened? Guys?"

No reply.

He tried again, "Kouchi?"

Still no answer.

Locked in his own dark world, he could feel the panic begin to rise from the pit of his stomach. "Zoe! Tommy! J.P.? Is anyone there?" The silence was almost deafening. "Hey!" he shouted, trying to control the emotions circling around his insides. Instinctively, he reached out and stepped forward, hoping to touch something familiar and reassuring.

Crunch! His hip connected with something hard and he gasped with pain. He ran his hands over the offending obstacle, realising quickly it was the region marker.

A region marker was something that was invented while the kids were absent in the digital world. It marked where certain villages were in the world, for easy reference.

The stone? I must be back at the Region Border. But how did I get here? Remembering the strange tingling sensation, had he been transported here? Did these digimon have powers? For a moment his spirits soared at the thought if they could do that they surely they could fix his sight, then he came back to reality with a bump as he remembered his current situation.

What had those guys said? He tried to remember their words. I was to return to the lake and if I came back to this region, they would kill my slaves. Shit! They must still have the others. He stared sightlessly at the stone. Come on, Takuya, options? Go, to the rose morning castle, get reinforcements, get everyone killed! Not an option. Go home, forget coming back! Definitely NOT an option. Okay, don't go home, find the others but first, call for reinforcements!

"Man! I wish I had a better plan than this!"

* * *

What Zoe said up there was "Amazing." Sorry it's in french, i'm on a tight schedule and i haven't got an Itaillian translator handy.

Takuya was really quiet becase 1, I couldn't think of anything for him to say, and 2, he's depressed. I'm mean, sheesh... the dude lost is sight!

And the fire in his eyes thing... well, when he has great spirit, and he acts couragous, the fire of the ledgendary spirit burns in his eyes. I would have added that to the story, except I couldn't find a place to squeeze it in.

The same goes for light in Koji's, Thunder in J.P.'s... ect. (don't ask how you can see thunder in J.P.'s... you just can... okay?)


	6. Chapter 6

I had more time to spend on this, so it should be more or less error free.

**Diclaimer:** Still don't own digimon. (Ooh, but I got the DVD last night! YAY!)

* * *

**Though the Eyes of Friendship  
Chapter 6**

Takuya smiled slightly as he reached for his Digivice. His smile faded as his hand failed to find that small, but necessary, piece of equipment. He slid down to sit on the ground, his back to the Region Border stone. Great plan, Takuya! He could almost hear Koji's voice in his head, You're blind, you can't call for reinforcements and you haven't got a friggin' clue where they are!

He sat in his private darkness, angry at his disability, angry that it had dragged him back to this region, endangering his friends. He seemed to disappear in to the silence that surrounded him and then out of the despair a voice drifted into his consciousness.

"But, we can't stop now guys." Takuya remembered back. "We're so close. I can feel it, I really can. Please. Believe me."

"We'll keep going. Don't worry." Koji had replied.

His friend's simple, heart-felt words cut through his despair, pulling him back to reality.  
"Come on, Takuya. You've got one option and you need to make it work! "

Takuya got to his feet, using the Border Stone to help, intent on keeping in contact with his only point of reference. Once up, he checked what supplies he still had in his pockets, as he had already noticed that his backpack, and contents were missing too. At least he still had his compass and a water bottle. Good basic essentials.

Sometime in the last few hours, Koji had said something about... Yes! Takuya's attentive, sharp mind remembered that little bit of information that gave him a starting point for his 'rescue mission', if he dared call it that. Koji had said to Kouichi that they'd been traveling south-east from the Stone. Takuya ran his hands over the it to establish which way it sloped and, knowing that it always sloped away from the region, he placed himself in his familiar position in front of the stone facing the lake. He then turned slowly around until his back was towards it, facing roughly in the direction they had walked away from his point of reference, remembering this from his first visit to the region.

Taking the pocket compass in his hand, he turned back and hit it against the solid rock, smashing its glass face, hoping that he had not damaged the pointer inside. Touching the compass gently with the fingers of his other hand, he breathed a sigh of relief. The device's hands were still intact and moving in search of this planet's north (or magnetic equivalent). He allowed the hands to settle, located north and twisted around to face south-east or at least his closest guess.

Takuya stepped forward, determination setting his features as he tried to convince himself that he didn't need to be completely accurate on his direction because would eventually reach the hill bordering the valley even if he didn't exactly follow their original path. As he took a few more tentative steps, he tried not to think about falling down ravines he could not see in his path. Three, four more strides and he could feel his confidence grow. Two more strides and his foot caught in a dip in the ground, turning his ankle and dropping him unceremoniously to his hands and knees, jarring his joints as he impacted with the hard, unforgiving ground.

Takuya cursed then panicked as he realized he'd dropped the compass. He desperately scrabbled around, blindly searching the earth around him. He needed that stupid thing. It was his only guide. He combed the dirt, trying to control the rising fear, then his right hand brushed something and he closed his fingers around the compass.

Takuya rocked back onto his heels and released the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He slowly stood back up, checked that he was still facing south-east and started walking again. A little more slowly this time and concentrating on trying to stay upright and head in the right direction, blissfully unaware that he was being watched.

The Aciesmon leader who had spoken to Takuya stood together with another of his kind watching Takuya's pitifully slow progress. They saw as he fell a few times and stopped every three or four paces to check a small instrument he held in his hand. "What is he doing?" he asked his companion.

"I do not know, my lord. He has not left this region and now he tries to travel the path to the valley."

"But why?"

The two continue to observe th boy's strange behavior then the leader added, "Does he attempt to return to his slaves?" His companion did not reply so the leader continued to ponder aloud, "This is very strange. None of Lord Lucemon's minions has shown any level of care towards his slaves and yet this one is putting himself through this in what appears to be an attempt to reach them. Very curious."

His companion clearly did not know the answers to his leader's questions. Choosing to ignore them, he said, instead, "Shall I kill the slaves?"

The leader, his eyes still on the strange one's behavior, shook his head and replied, "No." Then seeing his bemused look, added, "No, I want to see how long he perseveres with this. Tell me when he has given up." With one last look at what he thought was a evil follower of Lucemon's, he touched the brooch on his tunic and disappeared in a flash of white light.

**(o)o(o)o(o)**

Tommy, J.P., and Zoe were pacing. Koji had seen him do this for a long time now, and, although he believed it to be a pointless exercise, he knew it would be no use to indicate this to them. They tried to find a way out of their prison but had not been successful and now even Kouchi was showing the urge to pace.  
A bright flash of white light from the other side of the archway caught Koji's eye, "Hey guys" Everyone stopped. "we have company."

Zoe stopped in mid stride and spun to face the entrance. The native who'd been doing all the talking before they'd been 'flashed' into this cell was standing the other side of the barrier. Koji strode so forcefully towards the arch, the creature could not help but take a step back despite the invisible protection. Koji inwardly smiled at the effect he had clearly had but stopped short of the barrier. "Where's Takuya and what the hell is going on!" he shouted.

The Aciesmon tried to regain his composure but stayed where he was. "Who is 'Takuya'?" he asked, keeping his voice level and almost disinterested.

"Who's Takuya? You should know, you good for nothing bastards blinded him. I want to know what you've done with himnow."

"Oh," the Aciesmon replied in understanding, "Takuya is the name of your leader. I am the leader of the Aciesmon."

"Takuya is not our evil leader. He is our friend and if you've hurt him so help me I'll rip your head off!" J.P. interjected.

The Aciesmon leader couldn't help but flinch at the anger in the slave's voice. He scanned the strange quartet. He had been watching them in the cell for the past few hours and had not seen the expected Lucemon slave disorganized behavior, concerned only for their own survival, not that of their fellows. Yet, these creatures were working together to find a means to escape, whilst showing their deep concern for the missing one. "Who are you and what is this 'friend'?"

Before J.P could explain that he wasn't a friggin' dictionary and what he'd do with one if he'd had one, Koji interjected, "We are the 5 legendary warriors sent here by Lord Serphimon and Lady Opahnimon." Koji reinformed.

"And a friend is someone who is important to us, someone we care about, respect, trust and we'd hate it if they were hurt." Zoe added.

"Takuya is our friend, Not a mean bully. He's always protected us." Tommy expressed.

"Please can you tell us where Takuya is and if he is okay?" Kouichi asked.

The Aciesmon appeared to consider the kids' words for a moment but then he touched the brooch on his tunic and disappeared.

"God dammit!" Koji exclaimed, kicking out at the invisible barrier and eliciting a flash of blue light.

**(o)o(o)o(o)**

Takuya sat on ground nursing his left wrist. He'd lost count of the number of times he'd tripped, ending up on his knees or all fours, but this time his left hand had slammed awkwardly into a stone in the dirt, causing it to bend in a direction he wished it hadn't. It was protesting loudly now at its mistreatment and Takuya could already feel the heat rising in the joint.

He really could have done without this latest set back but then it had been inevitable as he'd stumbled blindly along the rubblish path. He knew his progress had been slow. Even without the falls, he had to stop every few steps to check he was still heading in the right direction.

Knowing there was hardly anything he could do about his wrist right now and hoping it wasn't broken, Takuya checked his water. He was just about to get up and check his position on the compass, when he heard a rustling sound to his right.

Takuya felt a chill run down his spine and reached out for the large stone that had caused the injury to his wrist. Holding it defensively in his right hand, he yelled out, "Who's there? What do you want?" He tried to sound confident and defiant, hiding his rising fear. The rustling grew louder, nearer. Takuya shifted his position, facing in the direction of the approaching footfalls. He raised the stone threateningly. "Don't come any closer!"

For a moment the rustling silenced and then suddenly Takuya sensed a presence directly in front of him. Before he could react, the intruder was on him, licking his face and whining with ecstasy at finding a member of his lost group.

Takuya couldn't help but laugh, more through relief than actual humor as Koji's German Shepherd knocked him on to his side. "Scaff! You old rascal!" he said then added, slightly tentatively, "Koji? Guys?"

Silence.

He sighed. He hadn't really expected a reply, not that he knew why he just hadn't expected it. He tussled Scaff's ears, at least he was here and pleased to see him. "I guess it's just you and me, buddy." He sat for a moment, no longer feeling so desperately alone. Okay, so he'd rather it had been his friends but Scaff was a distinct improvement on no one. Takuya struggled to his feet, removed his belt and slid it through Scaffs's collar. "Come on, boy, let's find the others."

Scaff pulled Takuya to the young man's left. Takuya stopped him, knowing that was in the general direction of the region border. "No, Scaff, this way," he urged, pulling the dog around to his right. The dog hesitated for a moment and then headed back up the path down which he'd just come, content to follow his lead.

The odd looking pair made their way back towards the valley. Takuya knew they were making faster progress now. He still stumbled over the rough ground and even fell a few times, seriously aggravating his wrist, but at least he wasn't stopping every few paces to check the direction. He did pull Scaff up short and check his compass once, but they were heading south-east and so he left Scaff to his highly-effective and efficient senses.

They'd been traveling along the path for what Takuya thought was a good hour or so when Scaff stopped and started growling, a low threatening noise. Takuya halted next to the him, "What is it, Scaff?"

Several yards ahead, the Aciesmon leader, and his usual companion had appeared. The leader frowned and addressed the other Aciesmon, "Why has he not given up? I do not understand."

"Who's there?" Takuya asked tentatively, Scaff growling at his side.

"It is I. The Aciesmon Leader. Where are you going?"

Takuya jumped at the reply. Two emotions warred inside him, anger at the loss of his friends and fear that he would be sent back to square one. Keeping his voice as even as he could, Takuya answered, "I am going to get my friends and take them home. And you are not going to stop me. Come on, Scaff." He urged the dog forward whilst trying to look both defiant and determined at the same time.

The Aciesmon watched as the strange pair walked on towards him. Again, that word 'friend'. This was not the behavior of a the legendary warriors they had previously encountered. Here was a being who showed a strength of commitment to his companions and a deep compassion that moved the cynical Aciesmon. Maybe these 'people' could be trusted, maybe...The Aciesmon leader raised his hand towards Takuya as his other reached for the brooch on his tunic.

Takuya heard Scaff's growl deepen and then almost immediately felt a tingling sensation wash through his body. Oh, no! He was sending him back again!. NO! It had taken him ages to get where he was. He was exhausted! His wrist was throbbing, his whole body ached and felt like it was covered in bruises and cuts and scrapes. He didn't want to have to start all over again! "No, please, don't send me back. I just want to find..." His pleading was cut short as pain burst in his head robbing him of his breath. As the tingling increased so did the pain until his consciousness could stand it no longer and shut down, dropping Takuya into oblivion.

* * *

Ooh hoo hoo! The plot thickens!

Thanx for the reviews, and thanx for bearing though the makeshif storyline. ((Big Grin))


	7. Chapter 7

Aw! I so sorry I haven't updated this story! It's been months! I'm so very very sorry. Gomen-kudasai.  
Between being grounded, and vactions, and my birthday, and my dive trip, and my additional certifications... it just completly slipped my mind that I had a story to finish.

So I can't apologize enough, and I hope I didn't lose any readers.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own digimon.

* * *

**Though the Eyes of Friendship  
Chapter 7**

Koji was now pacing, and his expression would have been the envy of any thundercloud. Kouichi watched his brother, convinced that any minute now he would explode, verbally if not physically. They were out of options. With little or no equipment, four solid walls and a high-energy barrier, there appeared to be no way of escape.

Zoe glanced across at Tommy. He looked distraught, lost, confused even, and was sitting in the corner of the room staring vacantly at the floor. Kouichi was standing by the archway, watching the corridor. Zoe walked over and slid down the wall to sit next to the youngest digidestined. Tommy looked up as Zoey joined him and smiled vaguely, almost immediately returning his gaze to the floor. "We'll find him. We have to," she murmured more to herself than to poor scared Tommy.

"Koji," Kouichi's warning tone drew everyone's attention.

The leader of the Aciesmon had appeared at the archway and, before anyone could say anything, he raised his hand to touch the energy barrier. The force field sparked briefly and then disappeared. "Come," He said, indicating that the Confused teens should follow him.

J.P. and Tommy, and Zoe were on their feet and standing beside Koji before the Aciesmon had finished speaking.

Koji glowered at the digimon, unsure if he should follow him or rip his head off. The object of his anger must have understood the human's look because he took a tentative step backwards and added, "Your friend needs your help."

Koji's expression changed, "Takuya?" He stepped menacingly towards the native, "Where is he?"

The Aciesmon scuttled down the corridor glad to be moving away from the tall huma, "This way."

Koji followed, the team close on his heels, and the Aciesmon led them from their building, across a small courtyard into another similar stone building.

The main room of the house was simply furnished and in the far corner, on a simple wooden bed, lay Takuya's still form, a growling, frothing fur ball of a German Shepherd guarding him.

A gasped shock was collected from everyone in the room. Scaff immediately stopped his display of aggression and enthusiastically greeted his care taker, glad to be relieved of responsibility. "Good boy, Scaff," Zoe said and then the group cautiously walked towards Takuya, afraid of what they would find. "Takuya?" Tommy asked.

Koji had had enough. He reached out and grabbed the digimon, "What the hell have you done to him now?"

The Aciesmon jabbered nervously, "Nothing, I was trying to help him but that beast would not let me near him." He pointed at Scaff.

Koji frowned, loosening his grip slightly. "What do you mean?" He asked, keeping one eye on Takuya and the rest of the group.

"I..I..was," he stammered again, "I was healing him when he, erm, lost consciousness. I transferred him here to continue but I could not get close enough."

Koji looked more closely at Takuya, "How is he?"

"He's alive," Zoe's voice shook with the emotion of the situation, "but he's out cold. He's got cuts and bruises and a swollen wrist. I don't see any other injuries."

Koji turned back to the Digimon, "What healing?"

"I can heal his eyes but I cannot repair his outer physical injuries. Our devices only affect your nervous system. Please, I must complete the process."

Koji wavered, unsure whether to trust him. "Why the change of heart?" The Aciesmon looked bemused, so he tried again, "Why do you wanna help us now?"

"Oh," The digimon replied indicating he now understood the question, "You have your friend to thank for our 'change of heart', as you say." He indicated the recumbent Takuya. "Through his actions he has shown us that you are not serving under Cherubimon and that, maybe, one day our 'people' can be friends, too."

Koji couldn't help the small smile that touched his lips as he looked across at his young friend. Trust Takuya to somehow change the minds of the people who had robbed him of his precious sight and then allowed him to get into this condition. He glanced back at the Aciesmon's earnest, yet frightened face, and made his decision. "Okay, go ahead." Koji could see the digimon visibly relax, so he added, "But if you hurt him, I'll..." He deliberately left the sentence unfinished, knowing that the look on his face clearly spelt out what he would do to it.

The Aciesmon swallowed hard and quickly turned away from the frosty glare, stepping towards the bed.

Scaff raised his hackles and growled, alerting his master to the advancing threat.

Zoe gave Takuya what she hoped was a reassuring smile and then stood, taking Scaff's collar and backing away from the bed. She locked eyes with the advancing Aciesmon, her wordless warning reflecting momentarily in his features before he dropped his gaze to the unconscious digidestined.

He leaned over the still body and laid his left hand on the young man's forehead whilst touching his tunic's brooch with his right hand. A soft, white light glowed under his left hand, gently illuminating Takuya's face, emphasising its stillness as all the kids watched anxiously.

The glow faded and the Aciesmon stepped away from the bed. "I have finished," he said simply.

Koji pushed past the digimon to Takuya's side. "Is he okay?" He asked, then placed his hand on Takuya's shoulder and gently shook it, "Takuya?"

At first nothing, then a soft moan escaped his young friend's lips, "Takuya, it's Koji! Are you okay?"

Takuya stirred and slowly his eyes flickered open. His head hurt. Hurt a lot. The pain warring for attention over his wrist. "Takuya?" That familiar voice pushed through the ache and he gingerly turned towards the sound, "Koji?"

"Hey, right here buddy. How ya' doing?"

Takuya smiled, it was good to hear his voice, see his face. Wait! See! Takuya reached out and grabbed Koji's arm, "Guys! I...I..." He hardly dared voice what he knew to be true, in case it would go away.

"Takuya, what it is?" Zoe asked.

Takuya could hear the sudden rising panic in his friend's words. He smiled again to try and reassure him, "It's okay, I...I can see..." His voice trailed off, the effort enhancing the pain in his head. He put his hand over his eyes and winced.

Koji glanced anxiously at Aciesmon and the digimon answered the unspoken question, "The nerves will take a few days to repair and there will be some pain, but he will be fine. I give you my word as leader of my kind."

"We should get him home as soon as possible," Kouichi said, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"Ditto!" A dancing J.P. and Tommy added in unison.

"Takuya?"

"Yeah, Koji?" Takuya replied, as he removed his hand and tried to focus on his friend.

"Can you move?"

"Uh huh."

"Good." Koji took Takuya's arm and eased him into a sitting position. The young man groaned slightly but, with his friend's help, he got slowly to his feet.

Zoe positioned herself on the other side of Takuya, "Okay?"

"Zoe?" Takuya smiled and then asked, "Scaff?"

"He's okay, Takuya, he's here."

"Ready to go," Koji asked. Takuya nodded, slowly. "Good, let's go."

* * *

Oh! He got his sight back! YAY! Oooh, and was it just me or did Koji seem, real agressive? Hm? 

Anyway, there's _still_ more, but It'll have to wait until I get back from Florida.

So until then, Sayonara!


	8. Chapter 8

"Wait!" The digimon said said.

Koji glared at him, daring the Aciesmon to stop them.

"Let me transfer you," He quickly explained.

Koij frowned. He wasn't too fond of the idea of being, well, blasted with a white light (Tommy could probably have explain it better!) but he could clearly see that Takuya was dead on his feet and hurting. A march back to Ophanimon's castle would not be the best medicine right now. He nodded his affirmation to the digimon and waited for that tingling sensation.

**(o)o(o)o(o)**

Everyone was waiting for Takuya as he emerged from the hospital changing rooms. "Well? Doesn't the Doctors want to talk to you?"

Koji shook his head, "Nope. We've finished explainning the miracalus recovery for now. He doesn't want us back 'til tomorrow, something about getting some sleep."

Takuya couldn't help but yawn, acutely aware that none of them had got much, if any, sleep in the last thirty or so hours.

J.P. smiled at the young man's reaction and added, "Has the doc finished with you?"

Takuya nodded, pulling the shirt sleeve up to show the heavy support bandage on the lower half of his left arm and wrist, "He says it's not broken but I've pulled some sort of leg-- liger-- lie-- "

"Ligaments?" Zoe suggested.

" Yeah! That was is. Ligaments. So I have to wear this for a few days."

"What about your...other injury?" Kouichi dared to ask.

"Oh! Fine. Well, things are still a bit blurry at the edges but it's all on the mend apparently."

Tommy frowned, "Why the glasses, then?"

A wry smile crossed Takuya's lips, "'Cause I just discovered I'm slightly short sighted!" Noticing that his friend was still frowning, he added, "Doc said that the damage and then repair was centred around the optic nerves and my poor eyesight is due to the muscles around the lenses in my eyes not working properly to adjust the focal point of the images I see. In fact, he went to great lengths to explain how the eye works and was in positive fits of excitement at all the test results he kept running on my optic nerves, half of which I didn't follow. I barely got out of there before he started on a whole load more!"

Everyone laughed, "So, the doc rambled on and on about something that didn't interest you and/or you didn't understand?" Koji summerized.

"Yeah. What's so funny?"

Everyone laughed again, "It just sounds so familiar!" Zoe chimed.

This time Takuya laughed too, then added, "Hungry?"

Everyone nodded, Takuya was indeed starving. They'd got back at around 7 a.m. and had been waiting to be discharged since. It was now way past breakfast and well on the way to lunch.

"Good," Takuya replied, "Let's get the heck out of this place!."

Ten minutes later and the pair were in Zoe's convertable heading down a road less traveled. "Where are we going?" Takuya asked, "And aren't the others joining us?"

"Aha!" Zoe said, rather cryptically and continued driving. When they reach the end of the road, she swung the car away from the town and back up into the hills surrounding Shibuya. Takuya remained silent knowing that when Zoe was up to something and disinclined to talk about there was no point pushing it. Instead, he stared out of the window watching the world float by, enjoying the simple but priceless pleasure of sight.

Zoe glanced across at her companion and smiled to herself. The look of wonder and peace on Takuya's face told her more than words ever could that this little plan of hers was so the right call.

After several miles of winding roads, Takuya could see that they were very near the top of one of the hills and, just as the road reached a dead-end, Zoe pulled the convertable to the left onto an old dirt track. They bumped their way down the track until it too ended. "Isn't that Koji's Landrover?" Takuya asked.

Zoe nodded and pulled up next to it. "Come on," she said, jumping down from the vehicle.

Takuya followed, his curiosity truly piqued. The path rose up the final few yards to the top of the hill and as they neared the top, they came out of the tree line and into a large grassy clearing. Takuya smiled, for there at the very top were Koji, Kouchi, Tommy, J.P. and, even, Scaff, all sat around what looked like a picnic.

**(o)o(o)o(o)**

Takuya sat at the edge of the clearing, looking out over the breath-taking view that lay before him. The sun was setting making the scene even more beautiful and in just a few moments helped so dramatically to demonstrate the true value of his recovered sight. Sometimes his friends could be incredibly sensitive and understanding. Takuya laughed to himself, What a scary thought!

The picnic, though he hadn't known it at the time, had been everything Takuya had needed. The easy company of his friends, good food (though he didn't like to ask where the guys had scammed it from) and a place to rest (and doze) not with the cold, grey walls of the hospital but with the open blue skies of a warm afternoon in Japan.

"Takuya?" Koji's not-so-gentle enquiry bought Takuya's thoughts back. "We're packing up. You ready to go?"

He nodded, stretched and stood up, patting the top of Scaff's head as he did so. Sighing with an inner peace, he took one last look at the view laid out in the orange glow of the sunset and said, "Wonderful, isn't it?"

Koji watched Takuya's face as he stared out across the vista, his bright brown eyes sparkling with energy and reflecting the huge range of nature's colours before them. "Yeah. It could be, but I'm over it." He said sarcasticly, with a smirk to match.

"Geebus, Koji. You jerk. You really do know how to kill the moment don't 'cha?"

Everyone laughed as they head to their cars, ending the most... exciting, to say the least... story that will ever be told.

The End

* * *

Finally! I got it done! YAY! 

I'm so terribly sorry... It took a kick in the ass from someone named Kaimi, in order for me to get off my ass and finish this.

Since I got back from Florida, things have been just a little hectic... --U

I've taken my GED, erm-- Got my first boyfriend (my best friend asked me out. O.O!), and have gotten grounded more than one time...((smiles slyly))

Again, I'm so sorry for it takingsofrickin' long for me to finish this. I really hope you'll forgive me, and be sure to e-mail me some suggestions for new stories! I apprecaite allyour reviews, and thanks a bunch for reading Through the Eyes of Friendship! ((big smiles))


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